Paper Composite Surfaces
From the exclusive distributor for Richlite® paper composite surfaces in the Southeast United States, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Richlite panels and slabs are made from 100% post-consumer recycled paper, or FSC certified paper with 80% rapidly renewable content, which has been saturated with a thermoset resin and then pressed in a plywood press under intense pressure and heat. The result is a unique surface material that is a more sustainable and durable alternative to traditional materials like stone, solid surface (i.e., resin) and wood.
Richlite panels and slabs are ideal for a wide range of horizontal and vertical applications, including countertops, work surfaces, table tops, wall paneling, furniture and more. More dense than wood, the material is highly scratch resistant and will not shatter or crack like stone or solid surface. The material can also handle long spans and cantilevers without the extra support required by other products. Richlite is perfect for the kitchen environment because the material is food safe, heat resistant up to 350°F, highly resistant to stains and will not support bacterial growth. Furthermore, Richlite surfaces will not “off-gas” or emit harmful chemicals like formaldehyde, which earned the material GREENGUARD® certification for Children and Schools. Richlite paper composite surfaces may also be used outdoors since the material is impervious to water and able to withstand the elements year-round.
Unlike other paper composite surface materials...
...on the market today, Richlite panels and slabs have been around for decades and used in the aerospace and marine industries for over 40 years by prestigious companies like Boeing and Boston Whaler. Other important factors help differentiate Richlite from its peers, thereby resulting in consistency of color throughout the entire panel and dimensional stability, not to mention a more compelling environmental story. To ensure color consistency from panel to panel and batch to batch, Richlite utilizes colored paper rather than adding dye to the resin that saturates the paper. Richlite's manufacturing process also employs a cold cycle, whereby the newly pressed panels are cooled while still under pressure in the press. This process results in panels that are balanced and dimensionally stable, two properties that are difficult to achieve when newly pressed panels are allowed to cool outside of the press.
Additionally, Richlite's manufacturing process features Waste-to-Energy (WETM) Technology, which minimizes the carbon footprint of the product by reducing energy consumption by over 83%.
Despite these uncanny properties, Richlite panels and slabs are easy and straightforward to fabricate and finish. To ensure the highest level of customer satisfaction, we only supply Richlite panels and slabs to a highly experienced network of certified fabricators, consisting of granite and solid surface fabricators, cabinet makers and millworkers.
For more information, a certified fabricator near you, pricing or samples, please contact a Richlite product specialist at Alterna.
